“For many guests travelling between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, the journey is not simply a flight. It is connected to livelihood, faith, family and opportunity.”

— Ateyah A. Al-Jehany, Saudia country manager for the Philippines & Offline Sales Networks

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Part 1 of 2 

MANILA, May 9, 2026 (SDN) — On-air travellers have some things in common they want as they fly, especially on long-haul flights.

Competitive ticket price, comfort & convenience, reliable service, and an aircraft where they can feel like being at home. In this era of the internet, passengers also want to manage their journey, get real-time updates and notifications about their flights, and can also fix any issue through online apps.

Add to that, safe journey, of course, with comfort, and with care provided by your friendly cabin crew.

What travellers want in their journey as mentioned above would surely be in the mind of airline companies across the globe, in recognition that passengers are the lifeblood of the travel and tourism, or aviation, industry.

SDN Online did have an opportunity to speak with the country manager for the Philippines and Offline Sales Networks, Ateyah A. Al-Jehany, of one of the world’s popular “travel homes”, Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia), the flag carrier of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“The aviation sector,” Al-Jehany points out in an exclusive interview on May 7 at his office in Makati City, Metro Manila, is highly dynamic and competitive, and fares can vary depending on demand, seasonality and wider market conditions.”

He assured that the Saudi flag carrier’s “focus has always been clear: safe operations, reliable service, an enhanced guest experience and stronger connectivity across its global network, including important markets such as the Philippines.”

Al-Jehany relayed to SDN Online his role as Saudia’s top official in the country, which is to support and strengthen the airlines’ presence, work closely in coordination with its “travel partners and ensure that our guests in this market receive the service and support they expect from the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia.”

It could be noted that among Saudia’s biggest market in the country are the overseas Filipinos workers (OFWs), the annual Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, and even regular passengers, including the business travellers.

In the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), there are over one million OFWs, with Saudi Arabia hosting the biggest Filipino community with some 21.9 percent of the total OFWs reckoned as from 2024, a Google AI Overview shows.

Imagine that the travel market for Saudia lone, more or less one million Filipinos, and then Hajj pilgrims to Mecca from the Philippines annually that range from 6,000 or more less. Still more, the thousands of Umrah (minor Hajj) pilgrims who travel to Saudi Arabia on a year-round basis.

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This growth is aligned with Saudia’s role as the national flag carrier and its contribution to Vision 2030, including strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global aviation hub and bringing more guests to Saudi Arabia.”

In 2024 along, the Philippine government deployed 398,768 OFWs to Saudi Arabia, as the Arab/Muslim country continues yearly as the top destination of Filipino workers seeking work abroad.

And it’s a boon to the Philippines because total remittances of OFWs across the world in 2024 amounted to Php262 billion, of which a substantial share came from the Middle East.

Obviously, the significance of these travellers are not lost on the Kingdom’s flag carrier.

“The Philippines is an important market for Saudia because of the strong ties between both countries, including travel for work, pilgrimage, family, business and tourism,” Al-Jehany emphasizes.

Thus, he said, he focuses his work on supporting Saudia’s guests and partners in the country as well as make stronger connectivity between the Philippines and the Kingdom.

“Aviation is a people-centered industry. Every guest has a reason for travelling, whether for work, pilgrimage, family, business or leisure. What I value most is the responsibility that comes with helping people make these important journeys safely, comfortably and with care,” Al-Jehany remarks.

“For many guests travelling between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, the journey is not simply a flight. It is connected to livelihood, faith, family and opportunity.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) Consul General Rommel Romato at the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, cited Saudia’s “dependable role” for Filipino travellers. He noted the airlines’ resilience amidst tensions in the Middle East.

“The Kingdom’s flag carrier, Saudia, has been a dependable partner supporting the travel needs of the Filipino community, OFWs and pilgrims. Despite recent regional tensions, the airline maintained uninterrupted operations, ensuring that Filipino pilgrims could travel and return home safely,” Romato tells SDN Online in a message.

Al-Jehany revealed that his airline continues to invest in long-term growth and that one aspect of Saudia’s expansion plans is that there are 116 new aircraft scheduled for delivery in 2032, including support for network development, increased capacity, and the Kingdom’s wider aviation ambitions.

“This growth is aligned with Saudia’s role as the national flag carrier and its contribution to Vision 2030, including strengthening the Kingdom’s position as a global aviation hub and bringing more guests to Saudi Arabia,” Al-Jehany says. — EDD K. USMAN (/)

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The author

EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, Manila Business Insights, Panorama Magazine, Agriculture Magazine, and others, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (®)